Largest fleet in a decade for 60th anniversary race

• NEWS
• 09 Nov, 2004 11:23:00 AM

Largest fleet in a decade for 60th anniversary race

“The fleet epitomises what the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is all about, a race for boats big and small, old and new. It represents a broad cross-section of ocean racing in Australia."

The largest fleet in a decade has been nominated for the 60th anniversary Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with applications to enter the 628 nautical mile ocean classic being lodged for 120 yachts from all Australian states and overseas.

This is the tenth largest fleet in the past 59 races, with the biggest being 371 boats in the 50th anniversary race in 1994.

There are ten international entries from New Zealand, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong and the USA.

From a technical aspect, it will be the most advanced ocean race of 2004 in the world, with three of the big boats fitted with canting keels and with at least a dozen grand prix racers launched within the past two years. 

The 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race will climax a Summer of Sail in Sydney with a record fleet also expected for the lead-up Rolex Trophy in mid December. The Rolex Trophy includes the first eight races of the Rolex Challenge teams series.

The Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Martin James, announced the fleet today at an official launch at the Rushcutters Bay clubhouse on the southern shores of Sydney Harbour from where the 60th anniversary race will start at 1pm on Boxing Day, December 26.

“The fleet, in size and quality, measures up to the best we have seen.  It has only been exceeded nine times, for the 50th race in 1994 and during the heyday of ocean racing in the 1980s,” said Commodore Martin James.

“The fleet epitomises what the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is all about, a race for boats big and small, old and new. It represents a broad cross-section of ocean racing in Australia.

“We have the super maxis that fought out line honours last year back again, Skandia and Konica Minolta, and a yet-to-be-launched new 90-foot Nicorette, and some of the best IRC grand prix racers including a new Beneteau 44.7 for last year’s Overall winner Michael Spies, again called First National Real Estate.

“Then there is that beautiful classic timber yacht Love and War which owner Peter Kurts has already skippered to two Overall victories in this race.

“The young and old are not just the boats – Peter Kurts recently turned 80, while John Walker who recently won the Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race with Impeccable, is 81.

“At the other end of the age scale is a crew from Melbourne University sailing the Sydney 38, Another Challenge, which has an average age of 21, and is skippered by Chris Lewin.

“Most importantly for the future of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is the ongoing support of the regular club racers from yacht clubs around Australia, people who come back year after year to enjoy the perpetual spirit of ocean racing.

“From Victoria alone we have 27 applications to enter our race, one of the largest in the history of the event from that State and, of course, including last year’s line honours winner, Skandia, “ Commodore James added.

Because of the size of the fleet, the CYCA will start the yachts from two lines. The fleet will all start at the same time, with lines about 200 metres apart. To compensate for this the yachts off the front line will sail to the further of two marks at Sydney Heads before heading out to sea.

Another significant change for this year’s race is that the Overall winner of the 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be the boat with the lowest corrected time (its elapsed time multiplied by a time correction factor based on such factors as overall and waterline length, displacement, sail area, construction and age of design) under the IRC (International Rule Club).

Under IRC the vast majority of yachts in the fleet will be eligible for the historic Tattersalls Cup, including yachts with canting keels and water ballast. These were excluded under the previously used IMS handicap category.  The only exceptions will be those boats whose owners have chosen to enter the PHS (Performance Handicap System) or Cruising Handicap Category.

Commodore James also announced that the Official Starter for the 60th anniversary Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be Ray Richmond, the sole surviving member of the crew of Rani, the Line Honours and Overall Handicap winner of the inaugural race in 1945.

Mr Richmond was a young Royal Navy Lieutenant when the late Captain John Illingworth RN, then stationed in Sydney, seconded him to help prepare Rani and then race to Hobart. Now aged 85, Mr Richmond lives in retirement at Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Two other yachtsmen from the first race, John Gordon who sailed on Winston Churchill and Geoff Ruggles, who was aboard Wayfarer, will also be part of the starting team.  Peter Luke, a CYCA Life Member who still owns Wayfarer and who has previously been the Official Starter, will be a special guest of the CYCA on Boxing Day.